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As part of the Getting Home Project, design-based research was conducted to understand this policy issue from a practical approach. The research conducted highlighted solutions that focus on the spatial needs of families rather than the fixed number of bedrooms required under the NOS and conventional models of housing units. In particular, it was determined that flexible and adaptable space and housing design would lead to suitable housing models. Flexible and adaptable design will have the potential to address the issue of overcrowding as well as the privacy needs of occupants within smaller housing units while also addressing the lack of affordable three-bedroom housing units in BC.
This infographic, created by Alina McKay (UBC), reveals the research findings from the Finding Rooms for Families Study. In 2021, the BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH) and researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) partnered on a research project to learn more about the impacts of National Occupancy Standards on women who had experienced gender-based violence and their families.
Of the eleven women interviewed, two were living in transition or second-stage housing, three were living in subsidized housing, and six lived in market rental housing. Of the six families living in market housing all of them sent 50% or more of their income on their rent. Six of the eleven families were under-housed according to National Occupancy Standards (i.e. needed more bedrooms based on the size and composition of their family). Eight of the eleven women (73%) identified as a visible minority.
As part of the Getting Home Project, design-based research was conducted to understand this policy issue from a practical approach. The research conducted highlighted solutions that focus on the spatial needs of families rather than the fixed number of bedrooms required under the NOS and conventional models of housing units. In particular, it was determined that flexible and adaptable space and housing design would lead to suitable housing models. Flexible and adaptable design will have the potential to address the issue of overcrowding as well as the privacy needs of occupants within smaller housing units while also addressing the lack of affordable three-bedroom housing units in BC.
Affordable and reliable transportation is key to women’s safety, particularly women who are experiencing, or at risk of, violence. The BC Society of Transition Houses launched the Transportation Project to conduct research on transportation needs for women experiencing violence in rural communities and to facilitate pilot projects focused on solutions. The focus of this project is on rural transportation between communities where there are fewer transportation options. The first stage of this project worked to determine transportation needs, to identify existing gaps and barriers, and to explore possible solutions. Phase 1 research methods included a province-wide survey, a literature review, pilot project and Solutions Lab with transportation providers, a transition house and a safe home in northern BC.
The initial findings revealed that the transportation needs of women experiencing or at risk of violence are not being met. Transportation gaps included limited routes and infrequent service. Barriers to transportation use included lack of confidentiality and anonymity, lack of trust in the system, and lack of knowledge about available transportation options. The pilot project identified some promising practices to improve transportation for women, including: partnerships with transportation providers, genderbased and trauma-informed training for transportation providers, leveraging community assets, practical solutions to confidentiality concerns, communication about transportation options, and safety planning for hitchhiking. These practical, local actions would also be useful in other locations. In 2021, BCSTH will continue this work with funding from the Vancouver Foundation.
Affordable and reliable transportation is important for women’s safety. Access to safe transportation within and between communities can be a key practical challenge for women and their children experiencing or at risk of violence. As part of the Transportation Research Project, the BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH) conducted this literature review in Fall 2020 to develop a better understanding of the academic and gray literature research on transportation needs of women, the relationship of transportation to violence against women, and the impact of transportation on the safety of women in rural and remote communities.
